Method for controlled recording to an interconnected ieee-1394 compliant device

ABSTRACT

A method for selective control of a device for recording output from a viewing apparatus includes sending output for recording from a viewing apparatus to a recording device selected automatically by the viewing apparatus, responsive to the viewing apparatus being enabled for automatically selecting the recording device; and maintaining recording the output to a recording device designated by the viewing apparatus, responsive to the viewing apparatus being disabled from automatically selecting a recording device.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to IEEE-1394 compliant devicesand, more particularly, to controlled recording to an interconnectedIEEE-1394 compliant device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

IEEE-1394, also known as “Firewire”, is a standard for a high-speedconnection capable of copy protection, transmitting audio and video overa single cable and transmitting network commands. With two connectors,IEEE-1394 compliant devices can be connected in either a hub ordevice-to-device style and create a network of IEEE-1394 devices. Notonly can a TV with “two-way” IEEE-1394 compliant connectors input(accept) video and audio from compatible IEEE-1394 devices, the TV canalso output (send) video and audio via the IEEE-1394 connectors to otherIEEE-1394 compliant devices. This two-way input and output connectioncapability is important for recording from a television TV to a digitalvideo cassette recorder, DVCR, as an example. In addition, the TV cansend audio and video control, AV/C, commands to other IEEE-1394compliant devices in order to control their functions, such as STOP,PAUSE, PLAY, etc.

Interconnecting IEEE-1394 compliant devices to a TV presents the problemof which IEEE-1394 device is to receive a command, such as RECORD, sentby a viewing user. If the TV is not currently tuned to the desiredIEEE-1394 compliant device's input on the TV, the command cannot be sentto the correct device. Another problem with multiple IEEE-1394 compliantdevices connected to a TV is selecting a particular IEEE-1394 compliantrecording device when the user desires to record a program. Known harddisk drives include a device called an Audio Video Hard Disk Drive(AVHDD).

One approach to handling a viewer command is so that every time a RECORDcommand is received by the TV from a viewer, a pop-up message windowwould ask the user: “which device from this list do you want the RECORDcommand to go?” However, this would be tiresome and annoying to the usersince most often the user selects the transport commands go to the sameIEEE-1394 device, and probably the only IEEE-1394 recording deviceanyway.

Another past practice is where, upon the TV receiving the RECORDcommand, the TV is programmed to force the user to “navigate” manuallyto the TV's input where the audio video hard disk drive AVHDD isconnected by pressing CH+/− or INPUT keys. Additionally, existing TVprocessing of commands could automatically enable automatic tuning whenthe device was an AVHDD and disable it when it was not an AVHDD. Theproblem is that sometimes there may not be information available to makethis determination accurately or it might not accommodate futuredevices.

Accordingly, there is a need for selectively controlling, from a viewingdevice, recording and automatic tuning of an interconnected IEEE-1394compliant device with user commands in a user intuitive manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A method for selective control of a device for recording output from aviewing apparatus includes sending output for recording from a viewingapparatus to a recording device selected automatically by the viewingapparatus, responsive to the viewing apparatus being enabled forautomatically selecting the recording device; and maintaining recordingthe output to a recording device designated by the viewing apparatus,responsive to the viewing apparatus being disabled from automaticallyselecting a recording device.

In a further aspect of the invention, a method by a television apparatusincludes determining if a television is pre-selected to output to arecording device; determining if a recording device is designated torecord output from the television; determining if the television istuned to a digital channel responsive to a recording function enabled ona recording device being designated to record output from thetelevision; enabling recording from a viewing apparatus, responsive tothe viewing apparatus being tuned to a digital channel; sending outputfor recording from the television to a recording device selectedautomatically by the television, responsive to the television beingenabled for automatically selecting the recording device; andmaintaining recording the output to a recording device designated by thetelevision responsive to the television being disabled fromautomatically selecting a recording device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present invention may be obtainedfrom consideration of the following description in conjunction with thedrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a diagram of IEEE 1394 complaint devices interconnectedto a TV, illustrating an exemplary network for application of theinvention;

FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary flow diagram for selective routing of audiovideo control AV/C transport commands according to the invention; and

FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary user menu for application of the inventionto the exemplary network configuration of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 depicts an exemplary flow diagram for selecting a default IEEE1394 recording device according to the invention.

To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have beenused, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common tothe figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring, to the diagram 100 of FIG. 1, there is shown an exemplaryinterconnection of IEEE-1394 compliant devices 103, 105 connected to atelevision TV 101. When the IEEE-1394 compliant devices are simplyconnected to a TV, if the TV is not currently tuned to the desiredEEE-1394 device's input on the TV then it may be ambiguous as to whichdevice is receives and is responsive to a viewer command such as RECORD.

The interconnection shown in FIG. 1 is merely an exemplaryconfiguration. Alternatively, the Television can have one, two or moreIEEE-1394 connectors that are “two-way” in that not only would theyinput video from an external source but they would also output video.The benefit to a high definition television HDTV outputting audio andvideo via an IEEE-1394 compliant connector is that a digital televisionprogram received and tuned by the TV can be output to a digital recorderand recorded. Examples of digital recorders include an Audio Video HardDisk Drive (AVHDD) and a digital video cassette recorder (DVCR).

In an interconnection of IEEE-1394 devices and a TV, several issues ofhow user controls are handled between the TV and interconnectedIEEE-1394 devices must be addressed. One issue is how to tell the TVwhich device to send transport commands like PLAY and RECORD, whenmultiple IEEE-1394 devices are connected to the TV. Related to the firstproblem is how the TV should automatically select a default device forthe user so that the user doesn't have to select one if he doesn't wantto. Also, another problem with the interconnection of IEEE-1394complaint devices to a TV is how to use the digital recorder device(e.g., AVHDD) as a quasi-personal video recorder PVR instead of just asa solid-state recorder. A further solution provided by the invention ishow to defeat autotuning when its effect is undesirable (i.e., when theuser cannot see the TV's video coming back from the IEEE-1394 recorderto be displayed on the TV which prevents the use of the IEEE-1394recorder as a quasi-PVR).

An advantage to a IEEE-1394 device is that by implementing standardizedAV/C (audio video/control) specification into the TV software, the usercan use the remote to send control commands to the TV, through theIEEE-1394 network, and to a device without the remote having to be inthe same mode as the device being controlled and the remote not havingto be programmed to control that brand of device. As an example, theremote can stay in RCA TV mode and still control a Hitachi-brand D-VCR.

The audio video control AV/C specifications are released by theIEEE-1394 Trade Association. The common specification, AVC 98a, definesa set of commands for controlling audio/video devices by using IEEE1394. It is based on the function control protocol (FCP) defined inIEC61883-1. Beside the common specification, AVC 98a, further documentsfor specification do exist such as Tuner, Camera, Tape Recorder, Disc,and Monitor.

However, the advantage of being able to control any device with AV/Ccommands presents a problem: which device on the IEEE-1394 networkshould receive the commands being sent? One aspect of the invention isthat when the TV is tuned to a TV input, which has an IEEE-1394 deviceconnected to it, all AV/C commands would go to the IEEE-1394 device thatthe TV is currently tuned to. When the TV is not tuned to an IEEE-1394input, only the RECORD and STOP commands can be sent to the defaultrecording device. However, when tuned to a IEEE-1394 input, the TV cansend through any transport control command, regardless of whether thedevice allows recording or not (e.g., a IEEE-1394 DVD player which doesnot record and only plays discs). Transport control commands such asPLAY, FORWARD, REVERSE, PAUSE, etc.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a process diagram 200 forrouting of audio video control AV/C transport commands, in accordancewith the invention. While a transfer command has not been received 201the process of routing commands remains inactive. When a transfercommand is received 201 the process checks if the TV is tuned to anIEEE-1394 compliant device 202. If the TV is tuned to a particularEEE-1394 device the transport command received is sent to the 1394device to which the TV is tuned 205. If the TV is not tuned to aparticular IEEE-1394 device then whether the command is a “RECORD” or“STOP” is checked. A command that is neither “RECORD” nor “STOP” isignored 203. A “STOP” command is sent to the default EEE-1394 recordingdevice 207. In response to a “RECORD” command, the process checkswhether a default recorder device is available. 206. The “RECORD”command cannot be carried out if there is no default recorder available208. Where a default IEEE-1394 recorder is available and the recordingfeature on the recorder is not turned on 209 the recording functioncannot be carried out 208. When the recording feature is activated onthe recorder 209 and the TV is tuned to a digital channel 210 therecording operation by the IEEE-1394 recorder is started 211. After therecording is started or when the TV is not tuned to a digital channel adetermination is made whether the feature of automatic tuning to aspecific IEEE-1394 device is turned on 212. When the automatic tuningfeature is not on the TV remains on the current input 214, i.e.,connection path. Where the automatic tuning feature is on then the TV isautomatically tuned to where the IEEE-1394 device is connected 213.

Again, the advantage of being able to control any device with AV/Ccommands presents an additional problem. When the TV is not tuned to aninput where an IEEE-1394 input is connected, then which IEEE-1394 deviceon the IEEE-1394 network should the TV send transport commands to wheninitiating a recording? That has two solutions that are implemented inthe TV. One solution is for the TV to survey all available IEEE-1394devices and automatically select the most appropriate one by applying aset of rules; the other solution is provide a setup menu for the user toselect a default IEEE-1394 recording device that the TV send transportcommands to when the TV is not tuned to that default IEEE-1394 recordingdevice. Referring to the exemplary menu display of FIG. 3, a viewer isable to successively maneuver from the “Main Menu”, through a“Connections” menu to a “1394 Setup” menu. The viewer has the option ofsending the “RECORD” function command to the default IEEE-1394 device,shown as an “AVHDD Model” and maneuver further down the menu display andselect a default recording preference. The exemplary text string“Pressing RECORD tunes to the device selected above”, that appears inFIG. 3, is a checkbox control element which if “checked” means that itis enabled, if “unchecked” is disabled. Where AVHDD Model appears is atoggle-able model-selection choice field where highlighting the fieldand selecting the “OK” button will cause the next 1394 recording deviceto appear and become the selected device. Continuing to press “OK” willdisplay the next device, and so on. Another selection is “Off”, asalready mentioned. One may say the latter is analogous to havingmultiple printers on a computer network and having to set a defaultprinter that is used for printouts.

When the TV automatically selects an IEEE-1394 recording default statusfor a device, it uses a set of rules. The rules or process for selectinga default IEEE-1394 recording device is diagramed in FIG. 4. When apreviously selected or defaulted device remains connected to the TV,that TV is used as the default recording device 410, 412, 413. Theprocess directs the TV to discover IEEE-1394 devices 414 where a priorselected or defaulted device does not exist 410 or if it exists in thesystem the device is not still connected 412. In a condition where norecorder devices are discovered 415 then the 1394 recorder default isset to nothing and no devices are offered for selection as a defaulteddevice 416. Discovered EEE-1394 devices 415 that are not recordable 417also results in defaulting the 1394 recorder to nothing 416. A processstate of recordable devices 417 leads to a check whether the user hasturned off the record feature 418. If the record feature has been turnedoff 418 the process loops back to the initial query step of determiningwhether a previous selected or defaulted device exists in response to anew “RECORD” command from the user. If the user has not turned off therecord feature 418, and there is only one discovered device 419, the TVwill default that device as the default IEEE-1394 recorder device 420.When more than one recorder device is discovered 419 and the userselected a default device 421, the process applies the default recorderstatus to that user selected device 422. Where the user has not selecteda default device 421 among multiple discovered devices 419, the processassigns default recorder status to the first device model identified422.

FIG. 4 illustrates that only “discovered” IEEE-1394 devices that arecapable of EEE-1394 recording (e.g., AVHDD and D-VHS) are considered inany setup as the auto-selected default IEEE-1394 recording device. Ifthere is at least one IEEE-1394 digital recording device connected butthe user doesn't want to use the feature, e.g., inadvertent operationconcern, a selection “Off” appears in the choice field as a method toignore the transport keys. If there is only 1 discovered IEEE-1394digital recording device, then it is the default-selected device,regardless if it's an AVHDD or a DVCR. If there is more than onediscovered IEEE-1394 digital recording device and the user has not madea selection, the device selected as a default recorder is the “first”device, by model number, regardless of the type of the device. If theuser has chosen a particular target device from the list of devices inthe screen and later the device disappears from the network, then validcommands would go to the first device in the list, based on modelnumber. If a chosen device becomes disconnected then the first device inthe sorted list now becomes the default device, and if the previoususer-selected device comes back online it is made the default device.

Another aspect of the invention is “autotune” to the IEEE-1394 recorder(ideally a hard drive device, sometimes called an Audio Video Hard DiskDrive (AVHDD)) when RECORD is pressed. Autotune means to automaticallytune to the input where the AVHDD is connected when the RECORD button ispressed. Doing this allows the user to use the AVHDD as more than just a“digital solid-state hard drive recorder” to record programs: forexample, the user can use the AVHDD as a quasi-PVR (time-shiftingdevice); for example, to pause a program, reverse it, forward it,instant replay, skip ahead 30 seconds, etc. It works like this: when theTV is tuned to a digital program (analog not allowed), and the userpresses RECORD on the TV remote, the RECORD command is sent via EEE-1394network to the IEEE-1394 device set as the default recorder. If it didonly that, then the AVHDD would only be an expensive solid-state digitalVCR. But, because the TV will autotune itself to the default IEEE-1394recorder's input on the TV when it receives the RECORD command, thisallows the user to not only record the program but also to enable trickmodes like PAUSE, REVERSE, instant replay, SKIP 30 seconds, etc. This ispossible because the TV is outputting IEEE-1394 video from the TV'stuner over to the default recording device, which is then sent back tothe TV for display (the routing of the video explains the slight delaywhen watching the program being sent back from the default recordingdevice).

In an alternative embodiment, anytime the TV has been tuned to a digitalchannel, a RECORD command would automatically be sent to the audio videohard disk drive AVHDD. That would enable all digital programs to becontinuously buffered to the AVHDD. This continuous video bufferingwould allow the user to use trick modes and to use his AVHDD as apersonal video recorder PVR or time-shifting device. The TV could hidethe fact that it is automatically tuning to the audio video hard diskdrive's IEEE-1394 input on the TV and instead pretend to still be tunedto the digital channel on the TV's tuner.

In a further alternative embodiment, automatic tuning to an IEEE-1394recording device in response to a RECORD command feature when its effectwould be undesirable can be defeated. For a digital video cassetterecorder DVCR, a user will want to defeat a command for automatic tuningon RECORD since automatic tuning to the digital video cassette recorderDVCR input isn't helpful since the user won't be able to see the DVCR'soutput, i.e., the digital channel being recorded from the TV's tunerwould not be viewable by the user.

If any EEE-1394 recordable device(s) are connected to the TV but theuser doesn't want to make recordings at all, he can disable the RECORDbutton entirely so that it doesn't inadvertently start an undesiredrecording. The user can do this by going to the menu screen shown inFIG. 3, instead of selecting a device, like an AVHDD model, in thetoggle-able model selection choice field, select “Off”.

In summary, the process of selective control of IEEE-1394 devicesincludes a solution to provide a setup menu for the user to select adefault IEEE-1394 compliant recording device that the TV shouldtransport commands to when the TV is not tuned to that default IEEE-1394recording device. Another aspect of the invention is when the TV istuned to an IEEE-1394 input, commands sent over the IEEE-1394 networkare always sent to the currently-tuned device.

The selective control of IEEE-1394 devices allows a user toautomatically tune, “autotune” to the IEEE-1394 recorder, ideally a harddrive device, sometimes called an Audio Video Hard Disk Drive (AVHDD),when RECORD is pressed. Autotune means to automatically tune to theinput where the IEEE-1394 recorder is connected when the RECORD buttonis pressed. Doing this allows the user to use the AVHDD as more thanjust a “digital solid-state hard drive recorder”: the user can use theAVHDD as a quasi-PVR (time-shifting device); for example, to pause aprogram, reverse it, forward it, instant replay, skip ahead 30 seconds,etc.

Additionally, the selective control of IEEE-1394 devices allows the userto turn the autotuning feature off since some devices won't route thevideo from the TV to the recorder back for the TV to display (e.g., adigital VCR).

Although various embodiments which incorporate the teachings of thepresent invention have been shown and described in detail herein, thoseskilled in the art can readily devise many other varied embodiments thatwill still incorporate these teachings.

1. A method for selective control of a device for recording output froma viewing apparatus, the method comprising the steps of: (a) sendingoutput for recording from a viewing apparatus to a recording deviceselected automatically by the viewing apparatus, responsive to theviewing apparatus being enabled for automatically selecting therecording device; and (b) maintaining recording the output to arecording device designated by the viewing apparatus, responsive to theviewing apparatus being disabled from automatically selecting arecording device.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps(a′) determining if a viewing apparatus is tuned to a digital channel onthe viewing apparatus, responsive to a recording function enabled on arecording device being designated to record output from the viewingapparatus and (a″) enabling recording from a viewing apparatus,responsive to the viewing apparatus being tuned to a digital channelbefore step (a) is carried out.
 3. The method of claim 2, furthercomprising the steps of determining if a viewing apparatus ispre-selected to output to a recording device, responsive to a commandreceived by the viewing apparatus and determining by the viewingapparatus if a recording device is designated to record output from theviewing apparatus, responsive to the command being a record instructionbefore step (a′) is carried out.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein theviewing apparatus is a television.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein therecording device is an EEE-1394 compliant device that is one of adigital video cassette recorder DVCR and an audio video hard disk driveAVHDD.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the viewing apparatus is atelevision and the recording device is one of a digital video cassetterecorder DVCR and an audio video hard disk drive AVHDD.
 7. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the steps (a) though (d) are user menu selections onthe viewing apparatus.
 8. A method by a television apparatus comprisingthe steps of: (a) determining if a television is pre-selected to outputto a recording device; (b) determining if a recording device isdesignated to record output from the television; (c) determining if thetelevision is tuned to a digital channel responsive to a recordingfunction enabled on a recording device being designated to record outputfrom the television; (d) enabling recording from a viewing apparatus,responsive to the viewing apparatus being tuned to a digital channel;(e) sending output for recording from the television to a recordingdevice selected automatically by the television, responsive to thetelevision being enabled for automatically selecting the recordingdevice; and (f) maintaining recording the output to a recording devicedesignated by the television responsive to the television being disabledfrom automatically selecting a recording device.
 9. The method accordingto claim 8, wherein the step of determining if the television ispre-selected to output to a recording device is responsive to a commandreceived by the television.
 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the stepof determining if a recording device is designated to record output fromthe television is responsive to responsive to the command being a recordinstruction.